Ian Boswell pips Laurens ten Dam to Unbound Gravel 200 title
The two former WorldTour pros battled it out in a sprint finish
After 200 miles of gravel over the Flint Hills of Kansas, USA, as well as 9,600ft of climbing, it came down to a sprint for the line between two former WorldTour pros to decide the winner at the Unbound Gravel 200.
Jonathan Cavner of Colorado Springs was the first to attack after the start, chased down by a 100-strong group, Quinn Simmons leading the pack through Eskridge.
It wasn’t to be for Simmons, though as he abandoned after crashing, and at the halfway stage seven riders found themselves in the lead, featuring a number of familiar faces.
Ted King, Peter Stetina, Ian Boswell, Colin Strickland, Laurens ten Dam, Eric Marcotte and Robin Carpenter.
25 miles later and the leading group was down to five, Marcotte and Carpenter dropped, calling a truce to refill bottles, pump up their tyres and relieve themselves.
They worked well together through the sweltering heat, and into the final 50 miles it was soon down to King, Boswell and Ten Dam, Stetina just unhitched behind, before Boswell and Ten Dam went off alone.
Together they collaborated until the final, where Boswell outsprinted the Dutchman to claim the victory, coming home in 10 hours 17 minutes and 24 seconds, Stetina third 1-11 later.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Lauren De Crescenzo stormed to the win in the women’s race, finishing 15 minutes clear of second-place Amity Rockwell, Emily Newsom third.
Tibco’s Lauren Stephens won the 100-mile women’s race, while the XL men’s winner, Taylor Lideen, won with the fastest-ever pace, 15.5mph over 350 miles, taking just under 23 hours.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
Buying a saddle online without a fit is a risky move — here's how to find the best perch for you
Getting your saddle right makes all the difference, we spoke to an expert to help guide you in the process
By Rob Kemp Published
-
Guava Spot Force AXS review: the Catalan gravel bike that loves tarmac too
It just doesn’t deal with fast asphalt, rocky terrain, sandy stretches and damp conditions, but it excels across them. It’s fast, aggressive, nimble, stable, and above all compliant.
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published